Contracting spinner for clothes washer

ABSTRACT

The washing machine is provided with an inner rotatable drum which can be expanded for the wash and rinse cycles of the machine and contracted for the spin cycle of the machine. The drum includes front and rear end walls, and a plurality of wall segments connected to the end walls so as to define the side wall of the drum. The movement of the sidewall segments is controlled by a linkage assembly and a shaft actuated with a motor. By contracting the sidewall of the rotatable drum during the high speed spin cycle, unbalanced loads are eliminated or minimized.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Top loading and front loading washing machines typically have arotatable drum for holding the clothes to be washed. The drum has afixed perimeter defined by the sidewall of the drum. After the wash andrinse cycles are complete, the machine normally goes into a spin cycleto extract water from the clothes. During the spin cycle, the drumrotates at relatively high rpms so as to extract water by centrifugalforce. An unbalanced condition of the clothes in the drums, causesundesirable vibrations of the washing machine. The larger the diameterof the drum, the more accentuated the vibrations become. Variousmechanisms are provided in the prior art-to overcome or reduce thevibrations, including dampers, balance rings, and the like.

Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is theprovision of a washing machine having a drum which can be expanded forthe wash and rinse cycles and contracted for the spin cycle to minimizethe effect of unbalanced conditions in the drum.

Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a washingmachine having a drum with an adjustable sidewall to reduce the diameterof the drum for the spin cycle.

Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of awashing machine having a rotatable drum with a sidewall comprised ofpivotal wall segments to alter the diameter of the drum.

Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a methodof washing laundry in a washing machine including the steps of expandingthe diameter of the drum for the wash and rinse cycles and contractingthe diameter of the drum for the spin cycle.

A further objective of the present invention is the provision of aclothes washing method comprising simultaneously and equally pivotingwall segments of the drum sidewall to reduce the drum diameter for thespin cycle of the machine.

Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of awashing machine having a contracting drum to minimize vibrations fromunbalanced conditions during the spin cycle.

These and other objectives will become apparent from the followingdescription of the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The washing machine of the present invention includes a rotatable drumfor holding the clothes or articles to be washed. The drum includesfirst and second end walls, and a plurality of wall segments connectedto the end walls so as to define a continuous sidewall extending 360°.The wall segments are moveable between expanded and contracted positionssuch that the diameter of the sidewall is variable. The wall segmentsinclude first ends pivotally connected to the end walls and second endswhich are moveable inwardly and outwardly relative to the axis ofrotation of the drum. The inner ends of the wall segments are pivotedinwardly by a rotating shaft and a linkage assembly so as to contractthe drum diameter for the spin cycle, thereby minimizing the vibrationeffects of an unbalanced load condition in the drum.

The laundry washing method of the present invention involves the stepsof moving the sidewall segments of the drum to an expanded position forthe wash and rinse cycles of the machine, and moving the wall segmentsto a contracted position for a spin cycle of the machine. Adjacent wallsegments are maintained in contact with one another in both the expandedand contracted positions. The wall segments are moved simultaneously andequally during expansion and contraction. Movement of the wall sectionsis controlled by a linkage assembly and actuated by a rotatable shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation schematic view of a washing machine of thepresent invention with a contractible inner drum in an expandedposition.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the inner drum in the expandedposition, but without the linkage assembly for clarity.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the drum in a contracted position.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the inner drum in a contractedposition, but without the linkage assembly for clarity.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the inner drum showing the linkage assembly forcontrolling movement of the drum sidewall segments in the expandedposition.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the linkage assembly with thesidewall segments in the contracted position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A clothes washing machine 10 includes an outer drum 12 and a rotatableinner drum 14. The outer drum 12 is conventional. As shown in FIGS. 1-4,the machine 10 is shown to be a front loading machine, though it isunderstood that the present invention can also be directed towards a toploading machine.

The inner drum 14 has an adjustable diameter which can be expanded andcontracted during operation of the washing machine 10. Moreparticularly, the inner drum includes a front end wall 16 and a rear endwall 18. The front end wall 16 has an opening 17 to provide access intothe drum 14. The sidewall of the inner drum 14 is defined by a pluralityof wall segments or flaps 20A-D, each of which have an outer end 22 andan inner end 24. The outer ends 22 of the segments 20A-D are pivotallyconnected to the end walls 16, 18, such that the segments 20A-D arepivotal about the pivot points 28A-D. Thus, the sidewall segments 20 aremoveable between an expanded position for the wash and rinse cycles ofthe washing machine 10, as seen in FIG. 1, and a contracted position forthe spin cycle of the washing machine 10, as seen in FIG. 3. Bycollapsing or contracting the sidewall segments 20A-D prior to the spincycle of the machine 10, the load in the inner drum 14 will be movedcloser to the rotational axis 25 of the drum 14 so as to eliminate orminimize the effect of an unbalanced load. The end walls 16, 18 functionas inertial masses or flywheels so as to help stabilize the drum 14during the spin cycle. By eliminating and minimizing unbalanced loads,higher spin speed can be achieved with the washing machine 10 of thepresent invention, as compared to machines wherein the inner drum orspinner has a fixed diameter. Due to the centering of the load, highwater extraction performance can be consistently achieved. Thisextraction performance can result in lower energy usage and fasterdrying times in subsequent processing in a clothes dryer.

Adjacent segments 20 engage one another in both the expanded andcontracted positions. The inner drum 14 has a substantially cylindricalshape in both the expanded and contracted positions.

Movement of the segments 20 between the expanded and contractedpositions is controlled by a linkage assembly, as seen in FIGS. 5 and 6.The outer end 22 of each wall segment 20A-D is fixed to a pivot pin28A-D extending through the front and rear end walls 16, 18. A pivotplate 30A-D is fixed on each pivot pin 28A-D, respectively. Each plate30A-D includes opposite connection points 32A-D and 34A-D. The firstconnection point 32A-D of each plate is pivotally connected to thesecond connection point 34A-D on an adjacent plate by a straight arm orbar 36. Thus, the first connection point 32A of plate 30A is connectedto the second connection point 34B of the plate 30B by one of the arms36. The first connection point 32B of plate 30B is connected to thesecond connection point 34C of plate 30C by another connection arm 36.Thus, the arms 36 tie the plates 38A-D together such that the plates38A-D, and thereby the wall segments 20A-D, move simultaneously. As seenin FIGS. 5 and 6, two of the arms extend beneath the plates 30A-D, andthe other two arms extend above the plates 30A-D, such that the arms 36do not interfere with one another.

The linkage assembly also includes an actuation shaft 38 rotatablymounted in a bearing on the rear wall 18. The shaft 38 has a bar 42fixed thereto extending opposite directions from the shaft 38. A pair ofarms 44 are pivotally connected to the opposite ends of the bar 42 andthe second connection points 34A and 34C of the plates 30A, 30C. Thearms 44 are shown to be L-shaped in FIGS. 5 and 6, but may take otherconfigurations.

The shaft 38 is rotated in opposite directions by a reversible motor(not shown). The motor is operatively connected to the controls of thewashing machine 10 such that the shaft 38 is rotated in a firstdirection to move the wall segments 20A-D to the contracted position,via the linkage assembly, just prior to the spin cycle. At thecompletion of the spin cycle, the motor rotates the shaft 38 in theopposite direction so as to move the wall segments 20A-D to the expandedposition. It is understood that the wall segments 20A-D may be movedbetween the expanded and contracted positions using other means, withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. For example, thesegments 20A-D could each have separate drive motors which would movethe wall segments 20A-D between the expanded and contracted positions,either simultaneously or sequentially.

The invention has been shown and described above with the preferredembodiments, and it is understood that many modifications,substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intendedspirit and scope of the invention. From the foregoing, it can be seenthat the present invention accomplishes at least all of its statedobjectives.

1. A washing machine having a rotatable drum for holding articles to bewashed, the drum comprising: first and second end walls; a plurality ofwall segments connected to the end walls and defining a sidewallextending 360°; and the segments being movable between expanded andcontracted positions such that the diameter of the sidewall is variable.2. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein the segments are pivotallyconnected to the end walls.
 3. The washing machine of claim 1 whereinthe segments include first ends pivotally connected to the end walls andsecond ends which are moveable inwardly and outwardly with respect to anaxis of rotation of the drum.
 4. The washing machine of claim 3 furthercomprising a linkage assembly connected to the first ends of thesegments to pivot the second ends about the first ends.
 5. The washingmachine of claim 4 further comprising a shaft to drive the linkageassembly between a first position wherein the segments are expanded anda second position wherein the segments are contracted.
 6. The washingmachine of claim 4 wherein the linkage assembly resides outside one ofthe end walls.
 7. The washing machine of claim 3 wherein the inner endsof each segment engages an adjacent segment in both the expanded andcontracted positions.
 8. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein thesegments are moved from the expanded position to the contracted positionfor a spin cycle of the machine.
 9. The washing machine of claim 8wherein the segments are in the expanded position for wash and rinsecycles of the machine.
 10. The washing machine of claim 1 furthercomprising a stationary outer tub surrounding the drum.
 11. A method ofwashing laundry in a washing machine having a drum with an adjustablesidewall, the method comprising: moving wall segments of the sidewall toan expanded position for wash and rinse cycles of the machine; movingthe wall segments to a contracted position for a spin cycle of themachine; and maintaining adjacent wall segments in contact with oneanother in both the expanded and contracted positions.
 12. The method ofclaim 11 wherein the movement of the wall segments is by pivotingaction.
 13. The method of claim 11 wherein the wall segments movesimultaneously.
 14. The method of claim 11 wherein the wall segmentsmove equally.
 15. The method of claim 11 further comprising controllingmovement of the wall segments with a linkage assembly.
 16. The method ofclaim 11 further comprising actuating the movement of the wall segmentswith a rotatable shaft.
 17. A washing machine, comprising: a drumrotatably mounted within the machine; a plurality of wall segmentsdefining a sidewall of the drum; adjacent wall segments overlappinglyengaging one another; and the sidewall of the drum being expandable andcontractible.
 18. The washing machine of claim 17 wherein the wallsegments are pivotal so as to expand and contract the sidewall of thedrum.
 19. The washing machine of claim 18 further comprising a linkageassembly to control pivotal movement of the wall segments.
 20. Thewashing machine of claim 18 further comprising a reversibly rotatableshaft to pivot the wall segments between expanded and contractedpositions.